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NCAA West First Rounds Up Next for Bobcat Track and Field

Story Links BOZEMAN, Mont. — Montana State track and field adds another chapter to a historic season this week, sending their second-largest group ever to the NCAA West First Rounds as 21 Bobcats head to College Station, Texas, for competition beginning Wednesday at Texas A&M University. The total number of […]

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BOZEMAN, Mont. — Montana State track and field adds another chapter to a historic season this week, sending their second-largest group ever to the NCAA West First Rounds as 21 Bobcats head to College Station, Texas, for competition beginning Wednesday at Texas A&M University.

The total number of 21 student-athletes who will wear Montana State across their chests at E.B. Cushing Stadium during the four-day meet is second only to last year’s group of 23.  

“The number of qualifiers and having so many ranked so high signifies the strength of the track and field program,” head coach Lyle Weese said. “It is especially reflective of the breakthrough season for the women’s team across all event groups.” 

12 of the Cats’ 19 event entries come on the women’s side, and include the ninth-ranked 4×400 meter relay team among the stacked field in the West.

Indeed, the 19 entries showcase incredible balance indicative of Montana State’s team strength across one of the best seasons in program history, with seven distance runners, six sprinters, four throwers, three pole vaulters, and one long jumper in College Station.

The meet structure this week in College Station parallels that of the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, with the men in action on Wednesday and Friday and the women in action on Thursday and Saturday. 

Athletes who ranked among the top 48 in their respective events earned a berth into the NCAA West First Rounds. The top 12 in each event at the NCAA West First Rounds advance to the 2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, held June 11-14 at Hayward Field. 

13 of Montana State’s 19 entries are seeded in the top 30 in the West region, with several Bobcats entering this week knowing they have legitimate chances to book a coveted ticket to Eugene. 

“The level of competition at this meet is obviously really impressive,” Weese said. “We will need to make sure we are focused on ourselves, stick to our routine, and realize we don’t have to do anything we are not prepared for or haven’t done previously. Our season schedule has prepared us for success in this meet and the NCAA finals because we have seen competitors of this caliber throughout the season.” 

The Bobcat men begin competition on Wednesday with Elijah Jackman entered in the hammer throw at 10 a.m. CT/9 a.m. MT. The junior is seeded 36th out of 48 competitors. 

Later on Wednesday, five-time Big Sky champion Colby Wilson competes in the pole vault (5:30 p.m. CT) looking for his third appearance at the NCAA Championships. The native of Olympia, Washington, is seeded 22nd in the West region.

Wrapping up the men’s entries on Wednesday will be the duo of Harvey Cramb and Sam Ells racing in the 1,500 meter prelims at 6:30 p.m. CT. Cramb, the Big Sky champion, is ranked eighth in the West Region, while Ells is ranked 13th. The top five finishers from each of the four heats plus the next four fastest times advance to Friday’s national quarterfinal.

Thursday, Clara Fox kickstarts Montana State’s week on the women’s side competing in the javelin at 2:30 p.m. CT.

Shortly after, Hailey Coey looks to continue one of the all-time seasons by a Bobcat with the long jump at 4:30 p.m. CT. The junior from Billings is ranked ninth in the West Region and will be in an advantageous position as part of the final flight. 

For the first time in program history, multiple women’s pole vaulters will compete at the regional stage, with both Big Sky champion Tatum Richards (seeded 41st) and Megan Bell (seeded 48th) in action at 5:30 p.m. CT. in the national semifinals on Thursday. 

At 6 p.m. CT. on Thursday, Big Sky Conference record-holder Sydney Brewster enters the shot put ring for a highly-anticipated competition. The sophomore is ranked 13th in the West region, and will be joined in the event by fellow sophomore teammate Emma Brensdal, ranked 29th in the West. 

Also at 6 p.m. CT on Thursday, junior Millie Hubbell will race in the prelims of the 100 meter hurdles. The two-time Big Sky silver medalist currently holds the second-fastest time in program history and is seeded 29th in the West region.

Later on Thursday at 8:20 p.m. CT junior hurdler Giulia Gandolfi will race in the prelims of the 400 meter hurdles. The native of Faenza, Italy, is doubling this week in College Station, and hopes to run twice on Saturday—once in the 400 meter hurdle final and again as part of the 4×400 meter relay.

In the final event on Thursday, school record-holder Peyton Garrison gets in the starting blocks for the 200 meters at 8:45 p.m. CT. Garrison, seeded 45th, will also run in the Bobcats’ 4×400 meter relay on Saturday evening.

Friday, the men’s 1,500 meter national quarterfinal begins the slate—with hopefully Harvey Cramb and Sam Ells fighting for tickets to Eugene.

Immediately after, ‘Steeple U’ hits the track with three Bobcats including Rob McManus (seeded 4th), Owen Smith (seeded 23rd), and Will Kelly (seeded 30th) toeing the line to try to continue the Bobcats’ dominance in the event. In the latest USTFCCCA Event Squad Rankings, the Montana State men’s steeplechase group ranked second nationally behind only BYU.

Saturday, Bozeman native and school record-holder Grace Gilbreth (seeded 13th) races in the women’s 3,000 meter steeplechase to begin the day in the early evening ahead of the finals in the 100 meter hurdles and 400 meter hurdles.

In the penultimate event of the night, school-record holder Kyla Christopher-Moody takes to the track for the 5,000 meters. In her final collegiate season, the graduate student has re-written the record books, with four new school records on top of four All-Big Sky honors.

Finally, the women’s 4×400 meter relay team of Jadyn VanDyken, Peyton Garrison, Giulia Gandolfi, Caroline Hawkes, and Olivia Lewis will run in the national semifinals aiming to become the first Montana State relay to ever make it to the NCAA Championships. The group is seeded ninth in the West Region thanks to their school-record time of 3:33.66 set at the Mt. SAC Relays in April.

The NCAA West First Rounds will stream live on ESPN+ with coverage beginning at 5 p.m. MT/6 p.m. CT on both Wednesday and Thursday, and beginning at 4 p.m. MT/5 p.m. CT on both Friday and Saturday.  

A full meet schedule is available here and start lists can be viewed here. A meet central webpage with links to live results, information, streaming, and more can be found here.  

#GoCatsGo



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Justin Sluijter Qualifies for European Athletics Team Championships

Story Links HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point University track & field student-athlete Justin Sluijter will be representing HPU on the European men’s long jump team. The sophomore from Arkel, Netherlands will compete on June 28, 2025 at the European Athletics Team Championships 1st Division in Madrid, Spain.   Sluijter was […]

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HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point University track & field student-athlete Justin Sluijter will be representing HPU on the European men’s long jump team. The sophomore from Arkel, Netherlands will compete on June 28, 2025 at the European Athletics Team Championships 1st Division in Madrid, Spain.
 
Sluijter was named a member of the European team after winning the Amsterdam Jump Fest on Sunday, June 15 in the men’s long jump.
 
During the 2025 season with High Point, Sluijter broke the program long jump record with a 7.84m jump at the VertKlasse Meeting on April 4. He was crowned the Big South Indoor and Outdoor Long Jump Champion and took first place at eight other meets during both indoor and outdoor seasons.
 

#GoHPU x #DefendTheTeam



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CAA Unveils 2025

Story Links WBB Season Ticket Deposits Full CAA Opponents WILMINGTON, North Carolina – The Coastal Athletic Association has unveiled 2025-26 league opponents for the upcoming UNCW women’s basketball season. The Seahawks will play an 18-game conference schedule, featuring nine home and nine away contests, against all 13 league foes. Home-and-away opponents on the docket include […]

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CAA Unveils 2025

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – The Coastal Athletic Association has unveiled 2025-26 league opponents for the upcoming UNCW women’s basketball season.

The Seahawks will play an 18-game conference schedule, featuring nine home and nine away contests, against all 13 league foes. Home-and-away opponents on the docket include Campbell, Charleston, Elon, Hofstra, North Carolina A&T and William & Mary.

The Cougars and Camels continue to represent UNCW’s permanent repeat opponents in women’s hoops.

UNCW will welcome Drexel, Hampton and Northeastern to Trask Coliseum as home-only opponents this upcoming season. UNCW rounds out the circuit with visits to road-only challengers Monmouth, Stony Brook and Towson.

Conference matchups will primarily be played on Friday and Sunday. All games can be seen on FloCollege, with some contests also being broadcast on local television outlets. The title game of the CAA Women’s Basketball Championship will be broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network for the fourth-straight season.

Dates and times for conference games, along with the Seahawks’ non-conference schedule information will be announced at a later date.

Deposits for new season tickets for the upcoming 2025-26 UNCW women’s basketball seasons are available until July 1. To place a deposit and secure the lowest possible price for season tickets, visit UNCWsports.com/BuyTickets or call the UNCW Athletic Ticket Office at (910) 962-3233.

UNCW Women’s Basketball 2025-26 CAA Opponents
Home: Campbell, Charleston, Elon, Hofstra, North Carolina A&T, William & Mary, Drexel, Hampton, Northeastern
 
Away: Campbell, Charleston, Elon, Hofstra, North Carolina A&T, William & Mary, Monmouth, Stony Brook, Towson
 
BOLD indicates home-and-away opponent


 

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Wake Forest Men Record Top-15 Finish in Final USTFCCCA Division I Men’s Program of the Year Rankings

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Following the conclusion of a successful 2024-25 academic year, the Wake Forest men’s track and field and cross country program recorded a top-15 finish in the final John McDonnell Program of the Year standings, as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Tuesday afternoon. The […]

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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Following the conclusion of a successful 2024-25 academic year, the Wake Forest men’s track and field and cross country program recorded a top-15 finish in the final John McDonnell Program of the Year standings, as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Tuesday afternoon.

The John McDonnell Program of the Year Award honors the institution that has achieved the most success in each academic year based upon the institution’s finish across the NCAA Men’s Cross Country, Men’s Indoor Track and Field, and Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

In order to be eligible for the award, teams must qualify for each of the NCAA Championships, with scoring being based upon each team’s respective finish at each Championship (i.e. 1st = 1 point, 2nd = 2 points). The lowest score for all three championships combined determines the award winner.

This season, the men’s cross country and track and field programs combined for a 15th-place finish in the final rankings with 97.5 points. The Deacs are also one of four men’s programs representing the ACC inside the top-15, joining North Carolina, Virginia, and Virginia Tech.

The Demon Deacons found success across the academic season, including a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Men’s Cross Country Championships. Sophomore Charlie Sprott led the way for Wake Forest, earning All-American honors after recording a personal-best time of 29:21.6 to finish in 32nd.

During the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, senior Luke Tewalt and sophomore Rocky Hansen were both named First Team All-Americans, with Hansen setting a new program record in the men’s indoor 5000m en route to a third-place finish at 13:12.65. Meanwhile, Tewalt placed eighth in the men’s indoor 3000m final with a time of 7:54.42.

In addition, the distance medley relay team of Tewalt, senior Rynard Swanepoel, junior Paul Specht, and freshman Foster Shelbert earned Second Team All-American distinctions.

The Deacs would add four more All-Americans during the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, with Hansen claiming First Team All-American status following a fifth-place finish in the men’s 5000m final. Hansen would be joined by both Tewalt and freshman JoJo Jourdon in the men’s 5000m final, as Tewalt would add a Second Team All-American honor to his name after crossing the line in 14th, while Jourdon concluded his stellar debut season with an 18th-place finish.

Finally, Swanepoel closed out his Wake Forest career by earning Second Team All-American honors for the second-consecutive season.

Final NCAA Division I Men’s Program of the Year Standings




















Program Total Points
Arkansas 10
Oklahoma State 25
BYU 27
North Carolina 32
Wisconsin 40.5
Oregon 41
New Mexico 42
Ole Miss 44.5
Washington 67
Villanova 82.5
Virginia 83
Iowa State 86
Virginia Tech 94
Alabama 95.5
Wake Forest 97.5

From the Staff
“This is a prestigious list that is tough to make. Our ability to place high at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, and then score at both the NCAA Indoor Track and Field and NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships is rare. I am confident that we will be able to place inside the top five or seven next year. This shows our commitment to our sports at the highest level.” – Director of Track and Field and Cross Country John Hayes

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Golden Bears Earn Academic All-District Honors

News6/17/2025 1:32 PM | By: Cal Athletics 12 Cal Student-Athletes Recognized On CSC At-Large Academic All-District Teams BERKELEY – Twelve California student-athletes spanning seven varsity sports were named to the 2025 At-Large Academic All-District Teams, College Sports Communicators (CSC) announced Tuesday morning.   A student-athlete must be at least a sophomore […]

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12 Cal Student-Athletes Recognized On CSC At-Large Academic All-District Teams

BERKELEY – Twelve California student-athletes spanning seven varsity sports were named to the 2025 At-Large Academic All-District Teams, College Sports Communicators (CSC) announced Tuesday morning.
 
A student-athlete must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically with a 3.50 cumulative grade-point average or better and meet a variety of sport-specific qualifications to be nominated for the at-large academic all-district teams. Each NCAA Division I school is allotted six nominations for both the men’s and women’s at-large academic all-district teams (12 total).
 
The 12 Golden Bears – six men and six women – who earned academic all-district status are as follows:
 
WOMEN

  • Constance Fouillet (women’s golf): Economics major; team leader with 72.60 stroke average; five top-10 finishes, including a fifth-place effort at ACC Championship; played in 33 rounds across 11 stroke-play events
  • Avery Hoeft (lacrosse): Economics major; scored 11 goals and tallied 17 assists to tie for third on the team with 28 points; started all 15 matches played as a junior
  • Piper Melnick (women’s rowing): Economics major; Coxswain for ninth-ranked first varsity eight boat; guided first varsity eight to wins over No. 10 Virginia and No. 11 Syracuse in 2025
  • Rozanne Voorvelt (women’s water polo): Molecular environmental biology major; 2025 ACWPC All-American; 2025 All-MPSF honorable mention; 3-time MPSF All-Academic Team; 30 goals scored for 19-win team
  • Courtney Wong (lacrosse): Economics major; totaled 28 points (13 goals, 15 assists) as a junior; ranked second on the team with 47 draw controls; started all 15 games
  • Alexandria Young-Gomez (beach volleyball): Media studies major; 2024 CSC At-Large Academic All-District selection; 82 career wins rank third in program history; 22-9 record in 2025; 2024 AVCA All-American

MEN

  • Charlie Berridge (men’s golf): Computer science major; averaged 72.36 shots per round; four top-30 finishes; Cal’s top finisher at NCAA Reno Regional (T17); served as team’s co-captain
  • William Kelly (men’s water polo): Economics major; among top-three goal scorers on team (22)
  • Nik Mirkovic (men’s water polo): Economics major; 2024 CSC At-Large Academic All-District selection; scored 20 goals
  • Albert Ponferrada (men’s water polo): Data science major; All-MPSF second team selection; netted 15 goals for the Bears as a primary starter; 2024 CSC At-Large Academic All-District selection
  • Tyler Shimizu (men’s gymnastics): Electrical engineering & computer science major; ranked 31st nationally on pommel horse; posted Cal’s top all-around score of season at NCAA Championship qualifier; MPSF All-Academic selection
  • Tucker Yasunaga (men’s gymnastics): Sociology major; ranked 35th nationally on parallel bars & 48th on high bar; MPSF All-Academic selection; competed on parallel bars & high bar at NCAA Championship qualifier

 
Fouillet, Young-Gomez, Voorvelt, Ponferrada, Shimizu all advanced to the CSC Academic All-America ballot, which will be voted on by CSC members. The CSC will announce At-Large Academic All-America teams for the women and men on July 8 and July 9, respectively.
 
STAY POSTED
For further coverage of Cal Athletics, follow the Bears on Twitter/X (@CalAthletics), Instagram (@CalAthletics) and Facebook (/CalAthletics).

 





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Three Women’s Golfers Honored As CSC Academic All-District

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Hannah Jugar, Madison Le and Erin Lee received Academic All-District honors as winners from the At-Large teams were announced Tuesday by College Sports Communicators (CSC).   The At-Large program is designed to recognize student-athletes who compete across 22 various NCAA sports that continue to compete at a high level while achieving […]

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LONG BEACH, Calif. – Hannah Jugar, Madison Le and Erin Lee received Academic All-District honors as winners from the At-Large teams were announced Tuesday by College Sports Communicators (CSC).
 
The At-Large program is designed to recognize student-athletes who compete across 22 various NCAA sports that continue to compete at a high level while achieving in the classroom. Nominees for the honor have to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher, be at least a sophomore academically and meet performance minimums in their respective sports.
 
A graduate transfer, Hannah Jugar was a 4.00 student while pursuing a Master’s in Geographic Science. Sophomore Erin Lee was Long Beach State’s top finisher at the Big West Championship and an All-Big West selection while majoring in Marketing. Junior Madison Le competed in every tournament for Long Beach State this past season and is majoring in Public Relations.
 
The Academic All-District honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. Women’s All-Americans from the At-Large program will be announced July 8, while Men’s All-Americans will be announced on July 9.
 



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Athletics Year in Review: Winter Brings on New Life/Historic Moments for Athletic Programs

Story Links Wheeling, W. Va. – After the success of the Fall sports season, the snow began to fall and things moved inside for the start of the 2024-2025 winter sports season. Despite the cold outside, several of the winter programs were heating up, with history being made across the Cardinal athletic […]

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Wheeling, W. Va. – After the success of the Fall sports season, the snow began to fall and things moved inside for the start of the 2024-2025 winter sports season. Despite the cold outside, several of the winter programs were heating up, with history being made across the Cardinal athletic programs. Part two of our Athletics Year in Review will highlight the winter sports season and the historic moments that made it possible.  

The winter sports season began in the beginning of October as the Wheeling Men’s and Women’s Swimming teams took the pool. Both featured their biggest rosters since the 2016-17 seasons, and both would have historic pushes. For the Men, it was a roster fueled by freshman, with eight of the 14 swimmers being in their first season. That freshman class would come to the forefront, and led the Cardinals to tie the program record with a 9-5 record in dual meet action. They headed into the 2025 Mountain East Conference (MEC)/Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) Swimming and Diving Championships as the fourth highest team in the conference and continued that momentum. Gustav Lofqvist would become the first MEC Champion in program history, winning the title in the 50-Yard Freestyle, and led a group of five All-MEC honors for the team.  

On the women’s side, it was the opposite as several Cardinal veterans who helped build the program were back to lead the way in their senior seasons. As a group, the team would break the program single-season win record, going 9-5 across 14 events, and were sitting top three heading into the GMAC/MEC Championships. Along the way, the program was highly recognized, with three different swimmers splitting six MEC Female Swimmer of the Week awards. The Cardinal’s veteran leadership continued at the conference championships, with senior Jade Miller and junior Gabby Baiano each taking home individual conference honors. The Cardinals also had their first-ever MEC relay championship at the event, when Jade Miller, Lydie Sprecher, Grace Moorley, and Sofia Castillo took home honors in the 200-Yard Freestyle Relay.  

The Wheeling Wrestling team would be next to take the mat and, like men’s swimming, the Cardinals were led by youth. After dropping their first dual meet of the season to Frostburg State, the Cardinals would come back and win four straight dual meets to finish with their best dual meet record since 2019 at 4-1. As they entered the annual MEC Wrestling Championships, the Cardinals had no ranked wrestlers on the roster, but that didn’t stop them. They would finish the event with six different wrestlers competing in top five matches on the night, including their first All-MEC honor in program history when Gavin Harper took third in the 285-pound weight class. They finished fourth as a team, their highest finish since 2019, and kept the momentum going at regionals. Brent Bosley wrestled through three straight upset wins, and earned a Nationals alternate title, the first since 2019, to round out a strong season. 

As mid-November rolled around, it was time to take the court and Wheeling Women’s Basketball would start things off. The young team took on a difficult non-conference schedule to start the year, but found their groove winning four straight games, including two MEC games, heading into December. They finished the first half 3-1 in conference play and set themselves up for a postseason run as they entered 2025. The Cardinals would go 10-6 down the stretch and earned the #3 seed in the MEC Women’s Basketball Tournament field. It was their highest seeding since they earned the #2 seed in the North Division during the 2021 MEC Tournament. However, their tournament run would hit an abrupt end as they fell to Glenville State 58-49. The Cardinals had two All-MEC honorees, with Kenzie Dalton earning the conference’s first-ever Defensive Player of the Year award to round out the season. 

On the men’s side, the Cardinals faced an equally challenging non-conference stretch, picking up big wins over West Chester and #10 CAL-U along the way. They would pick up their first conference win against West Virginia Wesleyan, but finished the first half of the schedule 1-4 in conference play. At the end of January, the Cardinals were on the outside looking in for an MEC Tournament spot, but a 77-70 win over Charleston to end January would turn their fortunes. It sparked a four-game winning streak for the Cardinals and they would finish 5-5 in their final 10 conference games to claim the #9 seed in the conference. Their offensive leader Sean Ealy was honored with a First Team All-MEC honor, after sitting third in the conference in scoring averaging 18.3 PPG, and led his team into the tournament. It was a back and forth first round match-up with Davis & Elkins, but in the end the Cardinals would fall 63-61 ending their tournament run. 

The final two sports to take the field during the winter season were the Indoor Track & Field teams, with both featuring young rosters. On the women’s side, the Cardinals would have several veteran athletes leading the way as they showed the younger athletes how to build the Cardinal culture. The indoor season featured a mix of competition levels, with anywhere from NCAA DIII to DI on the list and the Cardinals took the challenges in stride. As they headed to the MEC Indoor Track & Field championships, the Cardinals veterans would once again take center stage. Keala McCurry would lead the way in the Women’s Pole Vault, setting a new MEC Indoor Championship record at the event. She vaulted to a height of 3.60 meters and claimed the lone podium spot for the Cardinals at the event. They sent McCurry and thrower Mariah Pelkey to the Fast Track Last Chance Invitational to round out the Indoor campaign. 

On the men’s side, the Cardinals had several freshman and first years take the field an relished the opportunity to compete against top competition. Like the women, the men also took on several different levels of NCAA talent to prepare for the championships. Several different athletes stood out throughout the regular season both on the track and the field, but it was the field events that would lead the way. As the team made it to the MEC Championships, it was the jumpers who took center stage, led by Kabwe Bwalya. Bwalya would set a big PR at the event, reaching a distance of 14.40 meters, giving him Honorable Mention All-MEC honors and ranking him #2 all-time in the event. It was the Cardinal’s lone podium finisher on the day, but the young team got valuable experience as they headed into their outdoor season. 

Part three of our Wheeling Athletics 2024-2025 year in review will go into the spring season as new opportunities bloomed for new sports, while several playoff runs made for an exciting end to the season. 



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